Goodbye
by JL01
Summary: (Spoilers for Episode 5) He had saved her, at last. No shame...no regrets...Just one thing left to do...and then...


**Goodbye**

_Clem…no…_

_Must…get…up…_

_Must…save her…_

_Can't let…her…_

The ailing and dying Lee Everett was left helpless and paralysed beyond comprehension, his head throbbing and heart pounding but his body utterly unable to do as he wished. He watched in horror as the little girl who meant the world to him was screaming for her life as the walker crawling after he clawed and yanked at her ankles, all the while he himself was powerless to do anything about it.

"Lee! Help me!" she shrieked in panic.

But Lee could do nothing.

Even to twitch a finger now required of him all the strength he could muster, and then more. His remaining hand was now as lifeless and dead as the one which he no longer had.

Thoughts suddenly came flooding back into his mind of the young boy he helped Kenny put out of his misery in the attic of the house.

The sheer agony.

The frailty.

…And Duck…

What little remained of his senses was rattled once again as Clementine reached out in fear at an object he could now barely recognise with his fading vision, sending it off balance and on the verge of collapsing.

"Watch out…" he warned her in a hoarse voice. As Clementine scrambled away from the path of the furniture, Lee drearily looked up to the sight of an ornament hurtling towards his head, before he saw no more.

-o-

_Lee…_

_Lee, wake up…_

_God, you're a snoozy bastard…_

Lee's eyes shot up at the sound of a familiar voice. Looking upwards, he was bewildered as he saw nothing but clear skies overhead, with gentle rays of sunshine beaming down upon him.

It couldn't be true, he thought as he curled his fingers to determine whether it was a dream. And, judging by the presence of what should have been his missing arm, it seemed to be so.

He felt alive.

More than that, he felt a tender presence beside him as the gentle touch of a soothing hand caressed his brow, then turned his head rightward until he was met by the sight of an angel in white.

"C…Carley?" he gasped, unable and unwilling to believe his eyes as he sat up to speak to her.

"Yes, Lee," the woman replied, her warm smile greeting him. "I'm here for you."

"Carley, what happened?" Lee's tone still showed signs of panic. "Is…is it over? Am I—"

"Dead? No. Not yet, anyway," she informed him, stroking his cheek.

Lee became confused. "What? Then how is this…how am I…"

Carley soothed him, placing her fingers softly on his lips. "Ssh, ssh…It's a dream, Lee. It'll be fine."

They looked upon each other for a moment, a blissful silence in which all their emotions and thoughts were shared without any need for words. Their anguish, their sorrows and regrets for not having been able to be there to prevent each other's fates were mutually shared, and mutually forgiven, as they took comfort in one another's arms.

They gazed into each other's eyes, and, releasing all of the repressed feelings that had lain in deep recess in their hearts, drew closer until they finally shared a deep and meaningful kiss.

"I've missed you…" Lee wept softly against her shoulder after their lips parted.

"I know," Carley smiled as she replied warmly, rubbing his back to comfort him. "But right now, you need to go back."

Lee's eyebrow twitched as he and Carley drew apart with his hands still tenderly laid upon her upper arms. "Go back?"

"Clementine. She needs you."

"What? But I…I thought…"

"You're not dead, yet. I told you that," Carley informed him. "You still have time."

Lee, for a moment, found himself at a crossroads. Here, in his fantasy, he could be with the woman of his dreams. No more misery, no more desperation, no more fear…Just peace.

But on the other hand, Clementine's life was still in mortal danger.

And it was just a dream.

Carley continued. "You're like a father to her, and she's like a daughter to you…me…us…while we were still together. Don't worry – we'll be together again soon, Lee. I promise you that. As for Clementine…I can't help but feel in my heart that she's still got a long road ahead of her."

Lee shrugged in uncertainty. "I don't know if I can, in the state I was in. But…I'll try for her."

Carley chuckled softly at Lee's anxiety as she laid a kiss on his cheek. "Now which of us is the small one? See you soon." She got up on her feet and began to walk away before Lee knew it, her elegant white dress shimmering magnificently against the radiant sunlight.

"I love you," Lee mouthed as he saw her turn to look at him again.

"I love you too," she smiled and mouthed back, then departed as Lee suddenly came shooting back to reality.

-o-

"Lee! Leeeee!" He heard the voice of his beloved Clementine crying out to him, sending his eyes fluttering open once again. Hope faded with every second in both of their hearts as the walker drew ever closer to ending her life.

_Get up, Lee…_

_Just…once…more…and then…_

Lee could barely keep his senses together as he painfully made for the baseball bat which lay a mere few inches away from him. He could see the legs of the walker trapped under the heavy pillar, but slowly and surely slipping through towards the helpless Clementine. Then, after grabbing hold of the bat with a weak grip, he used the last of his strength to push it towards Clementine, who promptly picked it up and used it to kill the walker with repeated blows to the head.

The dying Lee found that he could breathe just a tad easier now that he knew that the little girl was safe once more. With what little energy he had left, he hoarsely whispered to her.

"Clem…"

Seeing that the walker was now unmoving, Clementine dropped the bat and rushed to Lee, falling to her knees in front of him.

"Lee! I…I did it!" she said with slight optimism, albeit it was overshadowed by her realization of what was to come.

"Heheh…see?" Lee wheezed. "You can…take care of yourself now."

"But…what about…you?" Clementine started to cry, tears forming in her eyes as she held Lee's remaining hand with both of hers.

"It…it'll be…alright, honey," Lee panted, taking comfort in her warmth. "You've learnt how to…protect yourself…I couldn't be more glad than…than to know that…"

"But…but I'm little! I…I can't possibly—"

"You _have to_, Clem. If not for yourself, then…then for me…"

"No! Please! Don't…don't talk like that!" Clementine wept in denial. "You're…you're going to be alright! You're…you're going to get better! It's…it's going to be—"

"Just like Duck," Lee had to break it to her. The tears simply wouldn't cease pouring out of the girl's eyes as she shook her head to and fro. She trembled in horror as the one person that now meant the world to her was on the brink of death.

"Clem," Lee went on. "I know you wish things turned out differently, and…so do I. But…you _know _what you have to do. What I had to do with Duck…"

"…" Clementine bit her lower lip in sheer anguish. Following Lee's gaze which went over her shoulder, she turned around and looked at the pistol which lay on the floor behind her. Unable to fathom bringing herself to carry out such an action, she jerked forward and hugged Lee tightly for what would surely be the last time.

"Please…please, Lee…don't make me do this…I love you…" she sobbed into his chest.

"I love you too, Clem," he answered weakly as he held her with his one arm. "And I know it kills you right now just as it killed me when I dealt with Duck, but…It's something you have to do. Duck and I…neither of us wanted to continue to exist in misery after we died. We didn't want to become…" he coughed and spluttered, "…one of them…"

"But…but what about me?" she cried. "There's still tons of walkers out there…That walker attacked me even though I was covered with…What if…"

"Hey…don't worry…it'll be alright. Just…do as we did, before I…before I…" Lee was now pushed to his limits, finding it difficult to even stay alive, let alone speak to Clementine.

"Lee…"

Feeling a sense of urgency, he told her of the plan he had. "Find Omid and Christa…I've told them to go back by the train…All the walkers would have followed us deep into town by now. It should be clear when you return. And…"

"W…what is it?"

"Be sure to…keep that hair short," he reminded.

"I…I will. I'll cut it myself," she wiped away her tears.

"Also…" Lee couldn't help but manage a smile. "When you have time and you're safe…be sure to…draw something for Christa and Omid…We loved it when you drew…Kenny, Katjaa and I…and Lilly…"

"O…ok…"

"One last thing…" Lee said, now barely able to keep it together. Clementine looked up into his eyes, her tears falling freely against his chest. "I'll be sure to tell Carley…what a…brave girl you've become…I'll tell her…hi from you…won't I? Heheh…"

"I…I miss her…" Clementine reminisced. Carley was like a loving mother to her while they were still at the motel, and it crushed her inside when Carley was no longer there. Now that Lee was about to leave her as well, she was overcome by sorrow.

"So do I, Clem…so do I…Just remember…we'll all be together again one day. I'll be seeing her again very soon, but…you…Just…just not now. You still have…so much to live for. But I promise you…One day…Your parents…and you…me…Carley…and…"

_Silence_.

"Lee? _Lee_?" Clementine began to panic and tried to shake him awake as Lee's eyes shut for the final time and his head began to hang downwards lifelessly.

And as he passed on to the next world, he felt the soft, soothing voice of Carley whispering into his ear as her spirit wrapped him in a warm embrace, lifting his soul to its final rest.

The girl he loved so dearly and sacrificed so much to protect was now safe, and that was all that mattered to him.

Knowing that Clementine was now strong enough to look after herself during all the trials that would come in her way, he could finally experience the one thing that he had been missing for so long.

Peace.

* * *

**A/N:** I've been thinking about writing another fic or two on The Walking Dead; one about what happens to Lilly after she's kicked out of the group, and a 'what if' scenario where Larry is saved instead of killed. Both would probably end up being monstrously huge in length, so I'm going to put them aside until I finish up with my current works in other fic categories.

Please kindly leave your reviews.


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